PFF argues Jonathan Allen is best contract on Commanders’ payroll

The Washington Commanders came under scrutiny for their timid approach to the offseason. While the Carson Wentz trade changed the complexion of their spending budget, the front office bypassed several opportunities to improve the roster. The most irksome of these missed chances came at linebacker and safety.

There’s an argument to be made that Ron Rivera should be pressing to make improvements after posting back-to-back seven-win seasons.

On the flip side, though, you can commend Rivera and the rest of the front office for being diligent in their management of the salary cap. After all, the team has several homegrown players in line for extensions down the road.

Of course, Terry McLaurin became the latest Commanders star to receive a second contract from the organization. Though a team-friendly deal, McLaurin’s $28 million signing bonus (the largest ever for a WR) and $23.3 million average salary withdraw him from consideration for the best contract on the team’s payroll.

If you asked Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus that question, however, he’d give Jonathan Allen the nod pretty handily.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1544071053055610882

Does Jonathan Allen have the best contract on the Commanders?

In the article, Spielberger ran through every NFC team’s best contract and stumbled across Allen as Washington’s candidate pretty easily.

"Washington wanted to see one more year from Jonathan Allen before extending him heading into his fifth-year option season in 2021, and the team should be glad it didn’t wait any longer. Allen was a dominant force in 2021, with his 90.9 pass-rush grade ranking third among interior defenders and his 67 quarterback pressures placing second. Over the past two seasons combined, Allen’s 90.9 pass-rush grade and 114 quarterback pressures both rank fourth at the position, cementing himself as one of the best interior pass rushers in the NFL while entering his prime.Fellow NFC East interior defender Leonard Williams signed one of the most player-friendly deals in the league just months earlier, inking a three-year, $63 million extension with the New York Giants coming off a great 2020 campaign. Comparing the contracts and production illustrates the value Washington is getting here."

These are salient points from Spielberger, who later noted the importance of Washington getting Allen signed before Rams world-beater Aaron Donald got an “unprecedented” $40 million raise this offseason amid retirement speculation. While Allen obviously wouldn’t have commanded $40 million annually, it’s fair to assume his AAV would be much more daunting than his current $18 price tag.

Allen’s extension came after Packers DT Kenny Clark signed a four-year, $70 million extension ($17.5 MM annually) and a year before Vita Vea inked a four-year, $73 million deal ($17.75 MM annually) with the Buccaneers.

It also came after the Colts and DeForest Buckner agreed on a four-year, $84 million deal ($21 MM annually) that made him the second-highest paid interior defender in the NFL, so Washington deserves credit for finding a middle ground amid all of these new contracts for upper-echelon defensive tackles.

Yes, Allen is the fourth-highest earning DT in terms of annual average value, but his contract looks like a steal after his representative 2021. On top of grading out superbly from PFF, Allen’s nine sacks and 30 QB hits marked career-highs.

With the DT market expected to grow following Donald’s mammoth raise, Allen’s contract might prove to be a steal down the road, especially considering he’s just entering his prime and is always motivated to get better. After all, he’s a rare breed of player who took his game to a new level after signing a life-changing contract.